龄 (líng) - Age & years (of age)

龄Tone 2

líng ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

林伦

龄 · líng

Age;

years (of age);

duration;

length of time, especially in reference to one's life or service.

Ageyears (of age)duration

Usage highlights

AgeSchool ageWorking ageSeniorityMilitary service ageTree age

Synonyms

  • 年— year; age
  • 岁— year (of age); age

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • What is your age?(你多大年龄?)
  • He is of school age (他到了学龄).
  • The retirement age is 60 (退休年龄是60岁).
  • This tree has a long lifespan (这棵树树龄很长).

Collocations

  • Age(年龄)
  • School age(学龄)
  • Working age(工龄)
  • Seniority(工龄/资历)
  • Military service age(军龄)
  • Tree age(树龄)

Idioms

  • Young and promising(妙龄才俊)
  • Reach a venerable age(享高龄)
  • Long service and great contributions(功高年长)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Traditionally associated with longevity and life experience, reflecting respect for elders.
  • In modern contexts, often used in administrative and legal terms to denote eligibility (e.g., school age, retirement age).
  • The character incorporates the 'tooth' radical (齿), symbolizing the counting of years as one might count teeth.

FAQ